Good morning from Brussels, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis are set for tough talks on Thursday morning ahead of a pivotal vote by EU member states next week on the European Commission’s proposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Ahead of the meeting, the Chinese raised the stakes, claiming that trade with the EU is “at a crossroads.” On a diplomatic level, Beijing has approached some member states, causing fear of retaliation. Madrid said last week that the EU must reconsider its position. The Commission is confident about the upcoming vote, while some analysts insist it would be politically difficult for the EU executive to reverse course. “We are trying to avoid a trade war with China, but we also need to defend our industries,” EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell told Euractiv earlier this week. Thomas Moller-Nielsen has all the details. | 